The present invention relates to dispensing, and, more particularly, to a system and method for dispensing, and preferably for spraying, a liquid into a confined space.
Today, most confined inhabited spaces, including buildings, rooms and vehicle interiors, are heated and air conditioned. Typically, there is relatively little exchange of air between these spaces and the outdoors. As a result, odors from the people in the spaces, their clothing and food, and other sources tend to accumulate in these spaces, making the air in the spaces unpleasant to breathe.
Deodorizers, air fresheners and disinfectants have, of course, been used for some time. They are typically dispensed manually from aerosol or pump dispensers by depressing a button that releases a liquid substance from the dispenser into the space, or continuously by an evaporative type dispenser from which a substance evaporates into the air. The effects of aerosol and pump dispensers are relatively short-lived, being limited to a relatively short duration following the release of the dispensing button. Accordingly, long term effects can be achieved with an aerosol or pump dispenser only by continually and manually operating the dispenser, which is burdensome and provides inconsistent results over time. The effects of evaporative type dispensers are longer lasting, but their effects lessen with time and, accordingly, do not provide a consistent result over time. Neither approach is effective for providing a space with a relatively consistent level of deodorizing, freshening or disinfecting over a long period of time. Finally, relatively large spaces, like building interiors and the passenger compartments of buses and aircraft, cannot be deodorized, freshened or disinfected using manual or evaporative dispensers due to the limited space that can be affected by these dispensers. There is, therefore, a need for a dispensing system that can provide a consistent effect in large spaces over a long period of time. There is also a need for a dispensing system the operation of which can be affected by parameters existing in the space to conserve the substance being dispensed.